Practice putting device



Dec. 16; 1941.

PRACTICE PUTTING DEVICE Filed Feb. 19, 1 941 Awd fik/aiwii/ee .1.' SEIGENBERG ,266,337

Patented Dec. 16, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. a

PRACTICE PUTTING DEVICE Leo J. Seigenberg, Los Angeles, Calif. 7 Application February 19, 1941, Serial No;- 379,609

4 Claims. (Cl. 273-35 7 This invention relates to a golfers practice putting device.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, neat, and attractive practice putting device that may be positioned on any suitable surface simulating a golf green and which will adequately serve to represent the conventional golf cup in the center of the green of a conventional golf course whereby golfers may practice putting by putting a golf ball into the device and have it temporarily retained therein prior to release to indicate that the practice putt has been satisfactorily performed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device having the above-mentioned characteristics which is so designed that when the ball is entrapped in the device it may be conveniently released and automatically returned to the practicer for succeeding attempts.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawing for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through the practice putting device embodying the present invention and may be considered as a sectional view taken substantially upon the line l-l upon Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1 illustrating the manner in which a release of the entrapped ball is accomplished.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the practice putting device embodying the present invention comprises a parallel pair of spaced side walls I and I I, spaced from each other a sufficient distance so that the distance between their opposed side surfaces is substantially equal to the diameter of the conventional cup used on the greens of conventional golf courses. The side walls I0 and II are connected to each other by a bottom l2, the top surface of which inclines downwardly toward the entrance to the device and preferably tapers to a very thin edge as indicated at l3 which may be positioned against any suitable supporting surface on which it may be desired to practice putting. The side walls are also connected by suitable cross bars extending across the top and the back, such cross bars being indicated at [4. These cross bars together with the bottom and the opposed sides l0 and II provide a form of cage l5; within which the ball B-may be rolled as in conventional putting. On the forward crossbar [4 there is pivotally mounted adoor and in the preferred form of construction this doorcomprises a top bar I 6 rectangular in cross section which is rotatably mounted on the cross bar M. This top bar serves to suspend the body of the door H which may be tapered as shown, and made of relatively light material so that it can be easily lifted by the ball B as it rolls into cage l5. If desired, the bore through the top bar I6 may be positioned below the center thereof as shown so that part of the top bar IS in effect serves to partially counterbalance the weight of the door ll. Downward swinging movement of the door is limited by a stop [8 mounted on the inner face of one of the side walls and engageable by the underside of the door body ll. This stop limits the door in a position so that it will engage the ball B and temporarily prevent the ball from rolling forwardly down the inclined surface of the bottom I2. In this position the swinging or lower edge of the door when in its fully closed position is disposed in a position so as to be engageable with the surface of the ball B at or slightly above a horizontal diameter extending therethrough as clearly shown in Fig. 1 so that when the door is opened it has little or no tendency to throw the ball toward the back of the cage.

As shown on Fig. 1, the top edge of the top bar I 6 preferably extends up above the top edges and sides 10 and H so as to be readily engageable by the head of a golf putter P.

The operation and advantages of the practice putting device are as follows. The device may be positioned on a floor or on a carpeted surface and serve to represent a golf cup. The ball B may be putted with the putter P toward the entrance to the device. On successful strokes the ball rolls up the slight incline of the bottom, rolling beneath and lifting the door ll. As soon as it passes the door the door drops against the stop [8 entrapping the ball in the cage I5, thus indicating that a successful putt has been made. When it is desired to release the ball this can be readily accomplished by touching the top edge of the top bar [6 with the head of the putter P as shown on Fig. 3. This lifts the door sufiiciently to permit the ball to roll forwardly down the inclined surface and thus return the ball to the practicer for a succeeding practice putt.

From the above-described construction it will be appreciated that the improved practice putting above the axis of rotation of the door to which.

a force may be applied to swing the door open to release a ball entrapped in the cage.

2. A practice putting device comprising means providing a cage having a downwardly and forwardly inclined bottom, a trap door pivotallysuspended, at the entrance to the cage, there be-. ing. non-circular means associated with the trap door extending above the axis of rotation of the door to which a force may be applied to; swing the door open to release a ball entrapped in the a e- 3. A practice putting device comprising means providing a cage having a downwardly and forwardly inclined bottom, a pivotally suspended trap door at the front of the cage and means limiting downward and forward closing movement of the trap door to a position wherein the door when closed is downwardly and rearwardly inclined and has its swinging edge engageable with the ball in the cage at approximately a horizontal diameter therethrough.

4. A practice putting device comprising means providing a cage having a downwardly and forwardly inclined bottom, a pivotally suspended trap door at the front of the cage and means limiting downward and forward closing movement of thewtrap; door to a position wherein the door when closed is downwardly and rearwardly inclined and has its swinging edge engageable with the ballin the cage at approximately a horizontal diameter therethrough and means associated with the door to which a downward force may be applied to swing the door into open position.

LEO J. SEIGENBERG. 

